Classical

The three works included on this robustly appealing disc come from a concert that Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach oversaw in Hamburg in 1786, just two years before his death. It was intended as a sort of summation of his musical career, and it does a reasonably good job of it - aside from the fact that three pieces aren't nearly enough to encompass the scale of boldness and imagination of Johann Sebastian's most brilliantly inventive son. The "Magnificat," written in mid-career, shows Bach still working well within the stylistic framework of his famous father, mixing plainspoken choruses - which boast a striking element of theatrical flair - with sinuous arias and duets. The later works show more of the younger composer's iconoclastic side, from the intricate double-chorus writing of the motet "Heilig ist Gott" to the startling harmonic and melodic turns of the Symphony in D, Wq. 183/1. Hans-Christoph Rademann leads vivacious performances of all three works, with some inconsistent solo singing but splendid contributions from the RIAS Chamber Chorus.

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